I Collect Crazy Religious Leaflets, pt.1

When I was a kid, I had an uncle (by marriage), who would leave me with the occasional comic book. These weren’t typical superhero dramas or sci-fi adventures or whatever it is that happens in comics. Or at least they didn’t seem that way. I’ve never actually been into comic books and these might be the reasons why.

As it turns out, the comics that my uncle gave me was religious propaganda from Chick Publications. My aunt died when I was 10 and I’ve maybe seen him twice since then, so it was years before I ever came into contact with any more Chick “cartoons”. They had taken on a sort of mythological character in that my memory of their existence was palpable, yet very fuzzy and lacking in detail. I can’t remember exactly when I finally broke my duck and caught one again, but I’ve seen them a couple times on the subway.

A few months ago I spotted one again on a morning M-train to work and snagged it. Why I hadn’t grabbed any previously remains unclear, though I admit they still retain powerful traces—recollections of youthful horror not only at these cartoons’ content, but that adults would foist them upon children with an implicit wink-wink. They are fascinating, I must collect them all!

I will post more on the Chick cartoon—entitled “Here He Comes”—soon, but in the meantime it behooves me to announce that I will have to achieve my goal in a very short time frame. The other day someone left a few fliers at work informing us all that the world is going to end on May 21st this year. I don’t mind so much because my birthday is earlier in the month, but a lot of people will miss their birthdays and that is moderately displeasing.

Unfortunately for us, these leaflets contain incontrovertible truths that Jesus will be back in a few weeks. Have I read them? Not yet, though I will when I get a minute. I just assume they recommend going out and doing something cool like mountain climbing or snake charming before, say, mid-May, then spending a few days with loved ones before the burning terribleness begins.